This invention relates generally to articles of furniture used in business and office settings, and particularly to a support base for steel flat files, desk tops, drawing tables, work surfaces, and other items.
Steel flat files are commonly used in business settings for storing blueprints and machine drawings which must be kept readily accessible. Such flat files conventionally have several very shallow, wide drawers which permit the drawings to be laid flat, but easily sorted and withdrawn without having to handle an excessive number of drawings.
One example of the overall shape and configuration of such a flat file is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,319,795, which also discloses a fibre- and particleboard housing and shelf assembly for constructing a lightweight, inexpensive substitute for a steel flat file.
Formed from an enamel-finished steel sheeting, these flat files are generally very heavy, and are rested on the floor or stacked in a column. Single flat files are sometimes placed on a skirt support which lifts the file a short distance, generally less than one foot, above the floor. While the skirt support is simple and relatively inexpensive, it does not lift the flat file to a convenient height for sorting through drawings in the drawers, or for working with the drawings on a frequent basis.
Flat files may also be elevated on a desk or tabletop, however this consumes the otherwise available work space provided by the desk or tabletop, and similarly reduces the available locations at which the flat file may be placed in an office without interrupting traffic flow or being an obstacle.
While many types of support stands and similar office furniture has been developed for use with business equipment and machinery, the bases and stands for flat files in particular have remained relatively unchanged and unimproved.
Furthermore, there are significant problems to confront when designing a support base for a steel flat file: it should occupy the same limited floor space as the flat file, yet must support the considerable weight of the steel frame, drawers, and enclosed drawing pages in a stable position several feet above the floor. The suppot base must be constructed to withstand extended use without losing its stability under stress or when subjected to abuse, and must support the flat files even when the drawers have been extended from the frame.
Because a significant percentage of the market for such products is served by mail order houses and catalog sales, the support base should be designed so as to be disassembled and packaged into a standard sized carton and shipped via a non-freight carrier.
The support base should also be multi-functional, capable of several different uses besides that of supporting a flat file, such as serving as a pedestal for a desk top with a flat working space, or a pivotable drafting table.